BUT then the question was raised if the moss really would be so easy to maintain indoors in Austin. Was my $eramic “rock” (designed specifically to hold moss) destined for the local Goodwill shelf where shoppers would pick it up and think ‘Pretty color, but…what is it?’

Was I essentially tossing $50 out the window for a high-end Chia Pet?

So we ended up not placing the order…. but I remained hooked on wanting my very own Muppet-like zen oasis.

I called local nurseries looking for moss….the common name for this type of moss is “mood moss”, but all they had were pre-packaged mosses- most were artificially colored. I wanted real live fresh moss and…..

I found it on eBay- about a square foot for $10 including shipping! When it arrived from Pennsylvania a few days later, I poked around the house for what to pair it with and came up with a miniature pot, a shell and a piece of raku pottery.

A thrift store find raku shell dish- I like the organic shape and texture paired with moss

My mosses are in sunny locations but no direct sun, and I’m misting them liberally bi-weekly. I may still order the more elegant designer moss rock; I especially like the lichen shade, the largest of the three in the first photo.

Dicranum moss, often called mood moss

In the past I’ve used dicranum moss for lining Easter baskets and for covering the dirt of potted indoor bulbs. Here are some useful facts and clever ideas about moss….